A wise person once said, "you will never be ready...just start." And those words could not ring truer than they do today. I was not ready to start my own practice in 2016, but out of necessity for my family's well-being, I started. I was not ready to open a group practice in 2018, but out of community demand, I started. I am yet again, not ready to open our new Vernon Hills location with uncertainty ahead, but I started. Every time I start something despite not feeling ready, I prove to myself that I can do hard things, and for that, I become a more confident and resilient person. The reason I share this is, in honor of World Mental Health Day, we offer you the opportunity to do something for yourself, your family or your community even if you are not 100% "ready."
Starting before you are ready means you take a leap of faith and stop over thinking it. You do a trust fall with yourself and count on the fact that you have overcome a million other obstacles and came out better and stronger. I am 100% certain if we all share our stories of starting something before we were ready—especially counseling—we will inspire others to follow our example and start something even if they aren't "ready."
Bee Well,
Audrey
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What's Happening Around The Hive |
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It's Official: We've Moved! |
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We are so excited to be spending our first week in our new Vernon Hills office!
Our team has worked hard over the past few weeks to create a warm, welcoming new home for Simply Bee staff and clients. Stay tuned for more exciting information coming soon about all the new ways we will be able to serve the community in our expanded space. As always, we look forward to continuing to support clients as they heal & grow with us.
In case you missed it, our new Vernon Hills home is right across the street from our previous location, and we will still be operating out of our Northbrook location. Our new address is:
175 E Hawthorn Parkway, Suite 325 Vernon Hills, IL 60061
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2022 ASCD Leadership Summit |
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Audrey Grunst, LCSW & CEO is heading to Maryland on October 21-23 to present at the Leadership Summit of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) on Growing A Resilient Mind in the Classroom and Beyond.
Using best practice in mindfulness and psychology, participants of this presentation will learn a five-step protocol to increase social-emotional awareness on a systematic level. This protocol allows educators and students to move forward productively in the face of stress. Additionally, educators will develop a step-by-step process to teach and utilize the five-step Growth & Resiliency Model© to foster a growth mindset. Participants will understand how to implement this framework into their classroom as well as support their own personal growth and emotional development.
We look forward to the opportunity to share our model on a national level and support the social-emotional wellness of students and educators alike.
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BStrong Community Wellness Walk |
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On October 2nd, BStrong Together—a nonprofit on a mission to enhance the health and well-being of Barrington area children and youth in mind, body, and spirit—organized a Community Wellness Walk & Family Health Fair at Citizens Park in Barrington. Simply Bee had a booth at this event to share mental health information and resources with community members who attended the event.
We got to ask walkers to write down a word or phrase about what mental health means to them—and we always love seeing the thoughtful and creative answers that people share!
Big thank you to BStrong for putting on this event & giving us the opportunity to continue to spread the word about mental health.
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Illinois State Senate Award |
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At the D128 Mental Health Subcommittee on October 3rd, Senator Adriane Johnson presented Audrey Grunst, LCSW & some of the Simply Bee team members with awards in recognition of the community counseling work done in the aftermath of the Highland Park shooting on July 4th.
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Senator Johnson for this kind gesture and for offering her valuable insights over the course of this meeting. We look forward to continuing the important work being done to proactively prepare for mental health crises in communities near and far.
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Introduction To Sports Psychology: Improving Performance, Mental Health & Teamwork Presentation |
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Simply Bee was thrilled to again partner and support the athletes of Plainfield East High School on Thursday, October 6th with a presentation about the importance and benefits of sports psychology. Eric Stevenson, LPC & Sports Performance Consultant provided strategies to the athletes for how to check in on their overall mental health, manage performance anxiety and expectations, build a positive sports-relationship with their parents, and be a good teammate—even when they may not be satisfied with their role.
Additionally, we provided the athletes and coaches with a performance assessment & measurement plan that will help them continue to build their awareness and mental strength for the duration of the whole season.
If you are a coach, athletic director, or parent looking to bring our sports performance programs or coaching into your school/club, click the button below to schedule a discovery call with our Director of Communications & Operations, Kate Kelley.
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D128 Student Wellness Booths |
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At the end of this month, Simply Bee will be attending the Healthy Lifestyle Fair at Vernon Hills High School as well as the Student Health & Wellness Fair at Libertyville High School. We'll have a booth set up at each event to provide mental health resources, information and a fun activity for students to participate in over their lunch hours.
We have a blast coming back to these events each year and are looking forward to the opportunity to interact with the students in our community.
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World Mental Health Day Spotlight |
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Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness of mental health on a global level, take action toward improving the mental health of individuals and communities as a whole, and to continue to build momentum around improving mental well-being around the world.
In recognition of this important day, we want to take a moment to highlight a few Simply Bee & community mental health resources. We encourage all of you to do something in support of your mental health today and every day. Your impact is bigger than you know—even one seemingly small action can have a big ripple effect in your community!
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Well, Not Perfect: World Mental Health Day Episode Spotlight |
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Each World Mental Health Day we like to highlight an episode from our podcast that showcases the story of a brave person sharing their experience with mental health and what they are doing to not only take care of themselves, but to give back to their communities, too.
Today, we want to highlight one of our favorite guests from Season 3, Ariana Gibson. Ariana is a documentary filmmaker, mental health activist, and the founder and CEO of STIGMA. STIGMA is a new mental health app that uses storytelling to fight loneliness and improve mental health. Through her work, Ariana has given people a safe space to publicly share their stories, ask for help and see that they are not alone.
This episode is testament to the power of open communication and its effect on breaking the mental health stigma. Take a listen today & be inspired by Ariana and the platform she's created to crowdsource hope for people around the world.
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"This year, on October 10th, we recognize World Mental Health Day. This year’s theme is “Make mental health & wellbeing for all a global priority.” Here at Paws for Patrick, we are dedicated to connecting young people with Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) and Therapy Dogs to aid them as they live with mental illness. We believe in the power of animals and the unique ability they have to provide comfort, love, and understanding. One of our clients said it best after adopting her ESA dog Marley: “He changed me. He gives me a purpose and a life worth living. He gives me a reason to get up every day, and he gets me out of my room. Taking care of him gives me such a good feeling. He’s always there for me and I’m there for him. I love him so much.” We invite you to learn more about our organization by visiting our website www.pawsforpatrick.org, or following us on Instagram and Facebook."
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Mental Health Activity For Families
Identify Your Core Values
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Feeling inspired to take action for your mental health today but not sure what to do?
A great place to start is to spend a little time identifying your core values and understanding the positive impact that living based on your values can have on your mental health. When you make decisions that are in alignment with what's most important to you, your confidence, sense of hope and problem-solving abilities increase—and so much more!
This activity and tutorial video is one of our most requested resources at Simply Bee. We encourage you to take 10 minutes—either on your own or with your family members—to pinpoint your core values. Be sure to write them down and place them somewhere where you can see them every day to continually remind yourself to live a values-based life!
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In Case You Missed It...
Check out these past issues of our monthly newsletter!
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Do you see an event you like?
Contact us and we will help bring mental wellness to you! For more information on workshops, public speaking engagements & more...
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Looking for our counseling services?
Check out our website for more info & fill out the form below to be contacted by our team.
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